What you'll do:
- Own a power electronics design that directly impacts X-BAT system performance and major flight test milestones, supported by a senior engineer who provides technical guidance and review.
- Contribute to the full hardware lifecycle including concept development, modeling, worst-case analysis, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, bring-up, verification, integration, and flight test support.
- Design and analyze low-voltage and high-voltage power systems including DC-DC converters, inverters, motor controllers, battery systems, power distribution, and protection circuits.
- Design systems across power ranges from <1 kW low-power loads to >10 kW high-power applications while balancing efficiency, thermal constraints, EMI/EMC performance, and reliability.
- Partner with ECAD engineers on PCB layout for power density, thermal performance, EMI mitigation, and manufacturability.
- Execute hands-on board bring-up, debug, root-cause analysis, and validation using oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads, and other test equipment.
- Support environmental, stress, and qualification testing (HALT, vibration, temperature cycling) for aerospace-grade reliability.
- Collaborate closely with Mechanical, Embedded, Software, Production, and Aircraft teams to ensure robust system integration and clear interface ownership.
- Drive disciplined engineering practices including documentation, risk reduction, and closing the loop between analysis and test results.
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
- Strong technical fundamentals in circuits, electronics, and power systems.
- Hands-on experience (coursework, labs, clubs, or internships) with power electronics such as converters, motor drivers, batteries, or high-power systems.
- Familiarity with electrical design tools (Altium, KiCad, etc.).
- Experience using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, power supplies, e-loads, and multimeters.
- Participation in an engineering team/club or hands-on project experience.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
- Strong technical fundamentals in circuits, electronics, and power systems.
- Hands-on experience (coursework, labs, clubs, or internships) with power electronics such as converters, motor drivers, batteries, or high-power systems.
- Familiarity with electrical design tools (Altium, KiCad, etc.).
- Experience using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads, and multimeters.
- Participation in an engineering team/club or hands-on project experience.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance.
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
